If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Bees entering between brick and siding.

I have had two calls this week about bees entering between the top of bricks and bottom of siding on their house. Both seem to be between the first and second floor of house. Bees are entering along a 3 foot section of wall so not sure where main entrance is.

My questions are how do I find them and do you think they are in the wall (which I am sure has insulation) or between the first and second floor?
Also would you remove them from the outside or from the inside?

Re: Bees entering between brick and siding.

I would bet on between the floors. I like outside better myself. Remove the siding and you should be looking at the band board that the floor joist are nailed into. You will need to cut a section out between the joist and you should see the hive. Bees and mess is outside of the house. Scab a couple of short 2 x 4 to the sides of the floor joist and nail the short piece of band board back, put the siding back and caulk up any cracks.

If you can gain access to the upstairs area where you think the bees are located you can slide our hand across the floor and feel a temp difference, carpet will not work though.

Most times they can not access the walls due to the way things are framed up. The downstairs wall has sheet rock up to the double top plate on the inside and some kind of sheeting on the outside with a brick veneer and the wall full of insulation. The floor joist will be open and usually not have any insulation in them, framed out of 2 x 12 on 16" centers is just perfect size for bees. Have done many of them and that is what I have always found.

Re: Bees entering between brick and siding.

That will be an easy cutout as far as no honey dripping. If your have carpentry skills it will be a piece of cake. They will be between the joists as was stated before. Use minimum smoke so you don't drive them deeper into the structure. A bee vac is priceless for cutouts, I can usually do a job like this in a an hour or two. I hope your charging for providing a very specialized and valuable service.

"Of all God's creatures, only the honeybee improves its environment and preys on no other species."--Haydon Brown

Re: Bees entering between brick and siding.

I so have some carpentry skills and have done a few cut outs for free (churches and older people on fixed incomes) this will be the first ones I can charge for. I have all the requirements that Arkansas has for charging to remove bees. I have tried several different styles of bee vacs that I have made and have one that seems to work with low bee deaths. I have been reading on charges and have not made my mind up on a flat rate or by the hour charges yet.

Re: Bees entering between brick and siding.

I had many clients tell me that the "bees have only been there a short time" when in actuality, they just NOTICED them a few weeks ago. The cutouts usually reveal a 4 - 5' long hive. lol
Have fun, take pics.

Re: Bees entering between brick and siding.

Two lies that the customer always tells you 1. The bees have only been there a few weeks and 2. No, we did not try to get rid of them our selves-we did not use wasp spray or--
We usually start at a basic price for simple jobs (soffits ) and our rates go up the harder the job. We are always happy to come a way with a viable hive but when we price we assume that the bees have no value. We can always come down on price if the bees are good or they have only been there a few weeks..Its really hard to go up on a quoted price.

Re: Bees entering between brick and siding.

I am shocked by how little people know about bees when you show up to look at them. You would think they would do a little research on the web. I have only been on a bee removal list for my arear for a couple weeks and have had 6 calls, all with same story bees moved in this spring and that may be true, seems to be lots of swarming going on.

I am thinking of setting a fixed price for the first 3 hours and then so much per hour after. Has anyone tried this?